Madoff’s man tried to sign up Prince Charles on polo field

Whistleblower Harry Markopolos claimed in testimony that Prince Michael of Yugoslavia, who worked as an executive for Access International Advisers Ltd — a feeder fund to Madoff's New York operation — met the Prince of Wales in 2002.

Mr Markopolos claims the meeting took place at a polo field at which Princes William and Harry were also present.

Madoff's fund is reckoned to have defrauded wealthy investors of as much as $50 billion (£34 billion). Mr Markopolos said that in 2002 Access invested about 45 per cent of its $1.2 billion with Madoff.

Mr Markopolos has spent nine years trying to persuade the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Madoff.

His suspicions were piqued after he, as chief investment officer for Rampart Investment Management in Boston, tried to replicate Madoff's declared investment strategy and found it didn't work.

It was reported today by news agency Bloomberg that Prince Charles declined to invest in the fund.